Mail-receiver



(No ModeL) L W. J. SGULTHORR MAIL RECEIVER. No. 365%110 Patented June28, 1887.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER J. SCULTHORP, OF COLUMBIAN enovn, VIRGINIA, Assienon on ONE-HALFTO OSCAR A. SOARLETT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-RECEIVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,410, dated June 28,1887.

v Application filed December 27, 1886. Serial No. 222.684. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER J. SoUL'rHoRP. a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at O0- lumbian Grove, in the county of Lunenburg andState of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMail-Receivers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in mail-receivers; and itconsists in a certain novel construction clearly described hereinafter,and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved mail-receiver arranged alongside of a house. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation,partly in scction,of the receiver. Fig. 41s a top plan View with the capremoved. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the receiver detached. Fig. 6is a perspective view of the alarm-bell and attachments.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters denote correspondingparts in all the figures, A designates a post or standard triangular incross-section and provided with a triangular groove, B, extending theentire length of the post. Fitted in the said groove 13 is a triangularweight, 0, adapted to move vertically therein and suspended by a rope,D, which passes up the groove B and over a pulley, E, at the upper endthereof. The rope D passes from the pulley E down on the outside of thestandard A, and is attached to the top of a box, F, which is thereceiver for the mail matter. Said box comprises two main divisions, thecompartment G, containing the lock-boxes H, for the letters, the, andthe lockbox I, for the second-class matter, papers, &c., and the blockK, secured to the back of the compartment G and having a triangularslot, therein to receive the post A and slide vertically thereon.

It will be understood that the triangula shape of the weight and theslot in which it moves in the post is designed to prevent the saidweight from slipping out of the slot and becoming jammed, and also toguide the weight in its movements.

The outside of the post and the slot g in the box are made dovetailed inshape for the same reason, the post thus serving as a guide for the Umail-box and preventing any tendency to move up. Close to said cap, andalso secured to I the wall of the house, is an alarm-bell, M, having; ahammer or striker, N, provided with a lever-arm, N, pivoted to a staple,n. The free end of the said lever-arm Nis adapted to be operated by thestationary dog 0, attached to the receiving box F, and having the notch0 to receive the end of the lever N after the bell has been rung, and tocause the said bell to be rung when the box F is pulled down. The methodof operating this will be under stood. The notch 0 receives the end ofthe lever-arm N, and as the box F is pulled down the notch continues tohold the arm N and pull it down. When the dog 0 has been pulled down farenough to release the arm N, it flies upand the hammer or striker,dropping suddenly by its own weight, strikes the alarm-bell; or theremay be a spring on the pivot of the lever-arm N, which causes thestriker to strike the bell by the recoil of the said spring after beingtightened or distended by the drawing down of the lever-arm N by thenotch o.

P is a rope provided with a handle or ring, 1), attached to the bottomof the mail-box F, to

enable the box to be drawn down to insert the mail matter, &c. WVhenreleased, the weight 0 being heavier than the box F and the mail, thesaid box will ascend, drawn up by the weight, and when said box reachesthe top of the post A the alarmbell will be rung by the arm 0 strikingthe lever .L 'and operating the hammer or striker N.

The lock-boxes H are for the letters, having a slit, h, in the door forthe reception of the mail; and there may be any number of theseboxes-for instance, a separate box for each occupantof the officetheglass, Q, in the front of the box havinga number or the name of theowner thereon. The upper box, I, is designed for second-classmatter-mews papers,

&c.said newspapers, (to, being admitted to the box through thefuunelshaped aperture R on top of the receivingbox F.

S is a mail-box secured to the side of the reeeivingbox F and designedto hold letters, &e., to be mailed, the key of which box S is held bythe postman. It will be readily understood' that the mail in, this box Swill be taken out by the postman who is collecting the mail.

My invention may also be used inside of a building in the same way as adumb-waiter, in which case the cover L may be dispensed with.

By the use of my invention the postman and newsboy are enabled to sendthe mail and papcrs up to the second, third, or fourth door of abuilding without the necessity of delivering them personally. lhis willsave the postman much valuable time, and also be a vast eonvenience. Thepersons in the office are also relieved of the necessity of carrying orsending thelettcrs to be mailed to the letter-boX or to the post-office,as if placed in the box S they will be collected by the postman in hisusual rounds.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exactconstruction herein describedas, for instance, I may not have the box Son the side of the box F, but may sub stitute therefor an additionallock-box beneath the box F, and I may not use the weight 0 to raise thebox F, as it may-be operated by a variety of means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1.. A mail-receiver comprising the post A, havingatriangular groove, B,therein adapted to receive the triangular Weight G, and pulley E at thetop of the groove 13, and the box F, suspended upon the rope D, whichpasses over the pulley E and is attached at the other end to the weight0, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. A 1nail-receiver comprising the post A, triangular in crosssection,and the receivingbox consistingot' a compartment, G, for the mail-boxes,and the block K, attached to the back of the compartment G and adaptedto be detached to remove the box F from the post, substantially asdescribed, for the purpose set forth.

3. A mail-receiver comprising ahollow post, A, triangular in crosssection and having a.

triangular groove therein for the weight 0, a V

receivingbox, F, having a dovetailed groove therein to fit over andslide upon the post A, and means for raising and lowering said box,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses. V

WALTER J. SCULTHORP.

Witnesses:

Wit. N. Moons, E. G. Si'oonas.

